Method and apparatus for selectively communicating in a wireless communication system based on varying time incremental costs of communication

Abstract

A wireless communication system employs a method and apparatus for selectively communicating in the wireless communication system based on varying time incremental costs of communication. A communication unit ( 116 ) receives a transmission ( 118 ) from the system infrastructure of the wireless system, wherein the transmission indicates a time incremental cost of future communications as temporarily established by the system infrastructure. Responsive to receiving the transmission, the communication unit determines whether the received time incremental cost is acceptable to a user of the communication unit (e.g., whether the received cost is less than or equal to a previously stored desired cost or whether, after displaying the received cost to the user, the user has indicated his or her acceptance of the cost). If the received cost is acceptable, the communication unit transmits a message ( 119 ) to the system infrastructure at least indicating the communication unit's desire to communicate in the wireless system.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for a wireless communication unit to initiate a communication at an acceptable cost in a wireless communication system that includes a system infrastructure, the method comprising the steps of: 
       preparing a message for transmission;  
       storing the message to produce a stored message;  
       receiving, from the system infrastructure, a transmission that indicates a time incremental cost of future communications, the time incremental cost being temporarily established by the system infrastructure; and  
       responsive to the step of receiving, automatically delaying transmission of the stored message for a particular time period corresponding to an undesired time incremental cost and transmitting the stored message to the system infrastructure during a time period when the time incremental cost is less than or equal to a desired time incremental cost according to the time incremental cost of future communications.  
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
       prior to the step of transmitting the stored message, displaying the time incremental cost to a user of the communication unit.  
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
       transmitting, by the system infrastructure, the time incremental cost to the communication unit in a control message individually addressed to the communication unit.  
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the steps of: 
       determining, by the system infrastructure, the time incremental cost based on a level of service associated with the communication unit.  
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
       determining, by the system infrastructure, the time incremental cost based on a location of the communication unit.  
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
       determining, by the system infrastructure, a load of the wireless communication system;  
       during a time period when the load is greater than or equal to a load threshold, transmitting a first time incremental cost to the communication unit; and  
       during a time period when the load is less than the load threshold, transmitting a second time incremental cost to the communication unit, wherein the second time incremental cost is less than the first time incremental cost.  
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
       responsive to receiving the time incremental cost, alerting a user of the communication unit that the time incremental cost has been received.  
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication unit is provisioned in a wireless communication system other than said wireless communication system and wherein the step of receiving further comprises the step of: 
       receiving roaming costs associated with future communications in said wireless communication system.  
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step of transmitting further comprises the step of: 
       transmitting the stored message during a time period when the roaming costs are less than or equal to a desired level of roaming costs.  
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
       prior to receiving the time incremental cost,  
       storing a maximum transmission delay indication; and wherein the step of transmitting further comprises the step of:  
       transmitting the stored message during the time period when the time incremental cost is less than or equal to the desired time incremental cost when the desired time incremental cost at least begins during a time period associated with the maximum transmission delay indication.  
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of: 
       alerting a user of the communication unit in the event that the time period associated with the maximum transmission delay indication has ended without transmission of the stored message.  
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10  wherein the step of transmitting further comprises the step of: 
       transmitting the stored message during a time period when the time incremental cost is greater than the desired time incremental cost in the event that the time period associated with the maximum transmission delay indication ends prior to commencement of the time period when the time incremental cost is less than or equal to the desired time incremental cost.  
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the maximum transmission delay indication comprises a time of day or a time duration. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
       prior to receiving the time incremental cost from the system infrastructure,  
       transmitting, to the system infrastructure, a request for the desired time incremental cost, the request indicating a quantity of information to be transmitted by the communication unit.  
     
     
       15. A wireless communication unit for use in a wireless communication system that includes a system infrastructure, the wireless communication unit comprising: 
       a user interface enabling a user to prepare and store a message for transmission in a memory;  
       a receiver for receiving transmissions from the system infrastructure indicating time incremental costs of future communications, the time incremental costs being temporarily established by the system infrastructure;  
       a processor, coupled to the receiver, for comparing the time incremental costs to a desired time incremental cost; and  
       a transmitter, responsive to the processor, for transmitting the stored message to the system infrastructure during a time period when time incremental cost is less than or equal to the desired time incremental cost.  
     
     
       16. The communication unit of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
       a display, coupled to the processor, for displaying the time incremental costs to the user of the communication unit.  
     
     
       17. The communication unit of  claim 16 , wherein the display comprises at least one of a graphical display, an alpha-numeric display, and an audible display.